Illuminated case for toilet articles



1% 23, 1936,, HOWLAND 2,045,013

iLLUMINATED CASE FOR TOILET ARTICLES Filed on. 50, 19:53

Patented June 23, 1936 UNITED A PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My invention relates to storage cases or receptacles for small articlesof use in toilet service; and the objects of my invention are: First, todevise a unique dust-proof receptacle for small articles of frequentpersonal use, designed to be ornamental as well as useful in itsconvenient place of repose on the dresser, the mantle or the work table;second, to produce a toilet case sheltered by means of a housing andadapted to swing on a pintle in opening and closing; the housing beingprovided with an automatically operative retainer latch adapted to holdthe case in its normal open or closed position; third, to provide forilluminating said toilet case a lamp mounted on the housing of the caseand provided with a reflecting shade adapted to throw the light downinto the case when it is open, the lamp being adapted to illuminate thework table and the room, also, to some extent.

All of these objects have been attained in my present invention; and mynew illuminated case for toilet articles illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing which forms a part of this specification, is a practical deviceembodying the aforesaid novel means and other new and useful details ofconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts, all of whichtogether with their functions, will be described in detail withreference to said drawing and will be definitely pointed out in theclaim that follows the description, so that any person skilled in theart may be enabled to construct and use this device.

In said drawing, Figure I is a side view in elevation of my toilet caseshown closed in its housing surmounted by its shaded lamp, and showingtwo of the posts that connect the upper part of the housing with thebase thereof.

Figure II is a side view in perspective of my illuminated toilet casestanding open, showing its housing and shaded lamp adapted to throw itsrays down into the open toilet case.

Figure III is a plan'view of a hexagon housing for the toilet case, ifpreferable in construction, which if used would have a post at eachangle.

Figure IV is a fragmentary view partly in sec tion of the base of thehousing of the toilet case and the quasi post attached to the swingingcase to be used as a handle. This view shows in detail the constructionand the method of operation of the spring-pressed, automatic retainerlatch installed in the base of the housing and adapted to hold thetoilet case open or closed.

Figure V is a full side view in elevation of the electric lamp and itsstandard here detached from the case housing and showing a part of theelectric wire which passes up through the standard to the lamp.

With reference to said drawing, similar characters refer to similarparts throughout the several views.

The swinging toilet case I provided with its post-like handle la and itspintle lb, is strongly installed and sheltered in its housing, which iscomposed of an upper horizontal plate 2 and a base-plate 3 of the samegeneral shape as the upper plate 2 and securely bound parallel theretoby means of the fixed posts 3a, 3a which are rigidly fastened in thebase-plate 3 and the upper plate 2 parallel therewith.

Upon the central part of the upper horizontal plate is securely andrigidly fastened a lamp standard i, up through the middle of which runsan electric wire 4a to the lamp-socket 5 and the lamp 5a installedthereon, from which pends a switch-chain 5b. And upon the lamp 5a isfastened the reflecting shade 6 by means of a wire clip Ba.

A vertical perforation with its counterbore has been made up through thebase-plate 3 directly in line with center of the post-like handle lawhile standing in its normal position of rest when the toilet case isfully closed. And in this perforation and its counterbore are installedthe springpressed automatic retainer latch comprising the oval-headedplunger 1, its actuating spring 8 and the abutting plate 9 covering thecounterbore and adapted to hold said spring and plunger in theiroperative positions. The plunger 1 has been provided with a detainingcollar 1a designed to limit the upward movement of said plunger in theboring to a predetermined position above the surface of said base-plate.The spring-clip 6a is fastened in the top of the reflector shade 6 andis adapted to support the shade upon the lamp 5a in its normal serviceposition. The base-plate 3 is provided with felt feet 15 securelyattached thereto and adapted to prevent the scarring of surfaces uponwhich the illuminated case may be set; and the post-like handle la isprovided with a latch-socket H in its lower end adapted to receive thespring-pressed retainer-latch I when the toilet case is in its normal,closed position.

My illuminated case for toilet articles may be designed in the form of ahexagon, or other desirable shape. And for the purpose of economy infabrication or otherwise, it should be understood that minor changes ofdetail may be used Without departing from the spirit and scope of myinvention and claim.

Now, having described the various features of my invention, the detailconstruction, arrangement, purposes and method of operation, I wish toexplain that those features and combinations of my invention that Iconsider new and repre sentative of utility and eificiency, on which Idesire Letters Patent granted to me, I have hereinbelow set forth andspecifically described in the following appended claim:

I claim:--

In a portable toilet case adapted to hold small articles, as hereinabovedescribed: a housing composed of an upper horizontal plate and a lowerbase-plate securely held parallel thereto by means of posts ofpredetermined length rigidly fastened in both said plates; a swingingcylindrical receptacle of predetermined size, adapted to fit closelybetween said parallel plates inside said posts and provided with pintlehinges anchored in said upper and lower plates; a post-like handleresembling said rigid posts and securely fastened to the outside of theswinging receptacle in a predetermined position relative to thepositions of said rigid posts; a latch-socket in the lower end of saidpost-like handle; and a spring-pressed retainer-latch installed in saidbase-plate, coincident with said latch-socket when said receptacle isclosed, the latch being adapted to engage said latch-socket to impedeautomatically the swinging toilet receptacle from opening too easilyand, also, designed to contact the lower edge of the open receptacle toimpede the receptacle from closing too easily when fully open.

HERBERT H. HOWLAND.

